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Alcohol What causes Delirium Tremens to happen?

E

Elven Warriorr

Bluelighter
Joined
Apr 16, 2013
Messages
196
I know what causes a physical addiction and withdrawal symptoms to happen, but when alcoholics get DT's, what's going on in their bodies which causes them to have seizures and hallucinate? What about alcohol's addictive properties, or it's effects on the human body, causes such symptoms to happen?
 
You may not be familiar with it, but there is this new website called Google. A quick search will yield the answers to many questions.

Counter regulatory response.
Biochemical cascade
Downregulation of GABA.
 
How come only a small percentage of alcoholics experience DT's, but with other drugs, such as opiates, all addicts go through withdrawals? According to that Wikipedia link which you posted.

In the U.S., less than 50% to 60% of alcoholics will develop any significant withdrawal symptoms upon cessation of alcohol intake, and of these, only 5% of cases of acute ethanol withdrawal progress to DT.[1] Unlike the withdrawal syndrome associated with opiate dependence, DT (and alcohol withdrawal in general) can be fatal. Mortality was as high as 35% before the advent of intensive care and advanced pharmacotherapy; in the modern era of medicine, death rates range from 5 to 15%.[1]
Click to expand...
 
All alcoholics display withdrawal symptoms.

Significance is the key starting point. That 50-60% is for people who are in the range of significance for fatality. Then, 5 percent of that is expected to progress to DT.

Opiate withdrawal is not produced by the same mechanism... It can’t be compared. And will never be fatal....

This is why we say that it is better to be a junky than an alcoholic. One habit you can actually die from quitting verses just feeling like it.
 
Last edited:
Psychedelic Jay said:
All alcoholics display withdrawal symptoms.

Significance is the key starting point. That 50-60% is for people who are in the range of significance for fatality. Then, 5 percent of that is expected to progress to DT.
Click to expand...

Alcohol withdrawal can be fatal because DT cause seizures.

Wikipedia's information is very confusing to me. If only 5% of alcoholics experience DT, then how come it says that 50-60 experience potentially fatal withdrawal symptoms (ie, DT)?
 
Elven Warriorr said:
Alcohol withdrawal can be fatal because DT cause seizures.

Wikipedia's information is very confusing to me. If only 5% of alcoholics experience DT, then how come it says that 50-60 experience potentially fatal withdrawal symptoms (ie, DT)?
Click to expand...

No 50-60 percent even have fatal withdrawal... Then 5 percent of those people experience DT...
 
Psychedelic Jay said:
No 50-60 percent even have fatal withdrawal... Then 5 percent of those people experience DT...
Click to expand...

If 50-60% of alcoholics experience potentially fatal withdrawal symptoms, without experiencing DT, what happens during those withdrawals? What happens to the alcoholics that don't experience DT, but still experience fatal withdrawal symptoms? What are their withdrawal symptoms?
 
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